Summer of the Saints: Journey to Fall and the Hall

Celebrating the 2026 AQ Athletics 'Coach Bo' Hall of Fame Class

More than two decades after arriving at Aquinas following an unexpected Christmas break conversation, Dave Wood's greatest legacy isn't measured by championships—it's measured by the generations of Saints who continue building upon the standards he established.

 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - If 'Coach Bo' Terry Bocian had chosen a different restaurant that afternoon...

If Dave Wood had arrived five minutes earlier...

If either man had decided to eat somewhere else...

The history of Aquinas Track & Field and Cross Country might have looked very different.

Faith teaches us that God often works through ordinary people in ordinary moments.

Looking back, that Christmas break may have been one of those moments.

Returning home from a recruiting trip during Christmas break, Aquinas College Athletic Director Terry "Coach Bo" Bocian stopped at a local Ponderosa restaurant for dinner before continuing home. It was an ordinary decision made on an ordinary day.

Inside the restaurant, another coach was also searching for answers.

Dave Wood had recently learned that portions of Ferris State University's athletic program were being eliminated. Like so many coaches, he suddenly found himself wondering what came next.

The two men knew one another through Michigan coaching circles. Their conversation began casually, the kind shared between colleagues who respected one another. Before dinner was over, however, that ordinary conversation had quietly become something much more significant.

Neither man realized it.

Aquinas had just found the architect who would redraw the blueprint of its cross-country and track & field programs.

For the next 23 years, Dave Wood would pour that blueprint into every corner of Aquinas Track & Field and Cross Country. Championships would come. All-Americans would follow. National recognition would arrive.

But those accomplishments, remarkable as they were, only tell part of the story.

Because if you ask the people who know Dave Wood best—Coach Bo, the student-athletes he mentored, the assistant coach who became his successor, and even his own grandson—they rarely begin by talking about championships.

Instead...

They talk about integrity.

They talk about preparation.

They talk about believing in people before those people believed in themselves.

They talk about lessons that extended far beyond a finish line.

In the end, Dave Wood didn't simply build championship teams.

He built a culture of excellence that continues to shape Aquinas Track & Field today.

Building Begins with Vision

Long before Aquinas Track & Field became one of the NAIA's nationally recognized programs, Terry "Coach Bo" Bocian wasn't simply searching for a track and field coach.

He was searching for the right person.

As Athletic Director, Coach Bo understood that successful programs weren't built overnight. They required vision, patience, and, above all, someone who believed in developing young people as much as developing athletes. Winning would always matter at Aquinas, but how those victories were achieved mattered just as much.

That conviction made his conversation with Dave Wood feel different.

Wood possessed an obvious passion for track and field, but Coach Bo saw something beyond technical knowledge and coaching experience.

He saw a strong teacher first.

A coach second.

And someone who would care about the kids just as much as he cared about the stopwatch.

Someone capable of building relationships while holding people to a higher standard.

"You always hope you've hired the right coach, but with Dave, it became obvious pretty quickly," Coach Bo reflected. "He had a vision for what Aquinas Track & Field could become, but more importantly, he cared about the kids. He went to work building the program one relationship at a time. Some coaching hires work out. Others change the course of an athletic department. Hiring Dave Wood was one of those decisions, and the culture he built continues to shape Aquinas today."

The timing itself presented a unique challenge.

With the meeting taking place over Christmas break, there was little opportunity for a lengthy transition. Rather than spending months evaluating the roster or carefully planning for the future, Wood stepped immediately into the responsibility of leading Aquinas Track & Field.

For many coaches, inheriting a program in the middle of an academic year might have felt overwhelming.

For Dave Wood, it simply became the first opportunity to begin building.

He never promised championships.

Instead, he established standards.

Practice by practice.

Recruit by recruit.

Relationship by relationship.

Long before conference championships became expected and All-Americans became commonplace, Dave Wood was laying the foundation for something much greater.

He was creating a culture where discipline, accountability, integrity, and belief in one another became the expectation rather than the exception.

The victories, as history would eventually show, simply became the byproduct.

Raising the Standard

Dave Wood inherited a program filled with potential.

What it needed was someone who could help it believe in what it could become.

Facilities were modest. Resources were limited. Transforming Aquinas Track & Field into a nationally recognized NAIA program would require far more than designing workouts or teaching race strategy. It would require changing the way people thought about themselves, their teammates, and what they were capable of becoming.

Wood never viewed those challenges as excuses. He viewed them as opportunities.

Every practice became a classroom. Every workout served a purpose. Every recruit represented another opportunity to strengthen the culture he envisioned for Aquinas Track & Field.

Winning wasn't ignored. It simply wasn't the starting point.

Dave believed excellence was earned long before athletes stepped onto the track for competition. It was established during ordinary Tuesday afternoon practice, reinforced in the weight room, and strengthened through accountability, preparation, and an unwavering commitment to doing the little things right.

Over time, those daily habits became the identity of Aquinas Track & Field.

The championships would come.

But the culture came first.

Coach Wood also understood that recruiting wasn't simply about finding the fastest athletes.

It was about finding the right people.

He looked for competitors, for character, and—most of all—for those who embraced Aquinas's standards.

Year after year, those standards quietly elevated the program. Eventually, the WHAC noticed. Then the NAIA noticed.

By then, however, something much more important had already happened.

The people inside the program had started believing they belonged.

That belief changed everything.

Teaching the Art of Excellence

Few athletes illustrate Dave Wood's coaching philosophy better than 2014 Aquinas Athletics Hall of Famer Jason Carver.

When Carver arrived at Aquinas, he already possessed something every sprint coach covets.

Speed.

Coach Wood saw something different.

Potential that had yet to be fully realized.

While many coaches might have been satisfied coaching an athlete blessed with natural ability, Wood believed talent alone was never enough. Every athlete could become better. Every detail mattered. Every practice presented another opportunity to improve.

Carver quickly learned that Coach Wood wasn't interested in simply telling athletes what to do.

He wanted them to understand why.

"My first impression of Coach Wood was that he was extremely detailed with an incredible passion for the technical aspects of track and field," Carver said. "He challenged me not only to run fast, but to understand why I was running fast and how I could become even faster."

Over time, those conversations became about far more than sprinting.

As their relationship grew, so did Coach Wood's willingness to challenge Carver beyond athletics.

"He was honest with me about my extracurricular activities and helped me navigate adversity," Carver recalled. "He taught me that I was fast, but I could be beat—and I could become even faster if I became more disciplined."

Carver accepted the challenge.

The results eventually placed him among the greatest athletes in Aquinas history.

More importantly, the lessons never left him.

Carver wasn't the only future Hall of Famer inspired by Coach Wood's belief in his athletes. Fellow Aquinas Athletics Hall of Famer Rumeal McKinney has often credited Coach Wood's confidence in him and his simple philosophy—put in the work, trust the process, and the results will come—for helping shape both his career and the person he became.

More Than the Finish Line

"You know, you don't have to win the race in the first 200."

When Dave Wood shared those words with Cari (Blind) Setzler after moving her to the 800 meters, they sounded like nothing more than race strategy.

Years later, she realized they were among the most important lessons she would ever learn.

Like so many student-athletes who competed under Coach Wood, Setzler arrived at Aquinas hoping to become a better runner.

Instead, she discovered a coach who was quietly preparing her for life.

"Coach Wood came into my life at exactly the right time, helping guide me through that pivotal transition from high school to adulthood," Setzler said. "He saw strengths in me that I didn't fully recognize, and he taught me that my greatest talent wasn't necessarily speed—it was tenacity."

The lesson about the opening 200 meters eventually took on a much deeper meaning.

"It was advice about pacing on the track," Setzler reflected, "but it became a lesson for life. Knowing when to push, when to be patient, and trusting the process has served me far beyond running."

That was one of Dave Wood's greatest gifts as a coach.

He understood that every workout presented an opportunity to teach something greater than athletics.

Sometimes the lesson was discipline.

Sometimes it was confidence.

Sometimes it was patience.

Whatever the lesson, it always reached beyond the finish line.

"Thank you, Coach Wood, for helping shape not only the athlete I became, but the person and professional I've become as well."

Cari eventually crossed her final finish line as a collegiate athlete.

Coach Wood's lesson is one she still carries every day.

The Heart of a Saint

Ask Dave Wood to recall his favorite memory from more than two decades leading Aquinas Track & Field, and most people might expect him to mention a conference championship, an All-American performance, or one of the many national accomplishments that helped establish the Saints as one of the NAIA's premier programs.

He doesn't.

Instead, he remembers one relay.

One runner.

One moment.

Without hesitation, Coach Wood points to Phil Wegert anchoring Aquinas' Distance Medley Relay to victory at the WHAC Indoor Championships.

To many, it was simply an impressive performance.

To Coach Wood...

It represented everything Coach Wood expected of Aquinas Track & Field.

Phil Wegert wasn't the most naturally gifted athlete Coach Wood ever coached.

What he may have lacked in God-given talent, however, he more than made up for through relentless dedication, unwavering effort, and a heart that refused to quit.

That is what Coach Wood remembers.

Not the winning time.

Not the championship trophy.

The journey that made the victory possible.

Every early morning workout.

Every difficult practice.

Every moment, Phil chose persistence over excuses.

Every day, he trusted the process.

That relay victory wasn't memorable because Aquinas won.

It was memorable because it validated everything Coach Wood believed.

Championships weren't built on talent alone.

They were built through discipline.

Commitment.

Heart.

Years later, Coach Wood still tells that story, not because it produced another conference championship, but because it perfectly captured the kind of young men and women he hoped would leave Aquinas.

Phil Wegert's influence didn't end when he crossed the finish line that afternoon.

Today, his legacy lives on through the Phil Wegert Spirit Award, presented annually to an Aquinas Cross Country student-athlete who best exemplifies the determination, selflessness, work ethic, and unwavering spirit that defined Phil's career.

There may be no greater tribute to either man than that.

Every year, another Saint strives to earn an award named after the athlete who best represented the culture Dave Wood spent a career building.

For Dave Wood, Phil Wegert didn't simply win a race that afternoon.

He validated a philosophy.

Living the Legacy

No one is better equipped to explain Dave Wood's impact on Aquinas Track & Field than Mike Wojciakowski.

Already a member of the Saints when Coach Wood arrived during Christmas break, Wojciakowski experienced the program before Dave, watched it transform under Dave, and, more than two decades after graduating, now leads the very program his former coach built.

Few people have witnessed every chapter of Aquinas Track & Field's evolution from such a unique perspective.

(Editor's Note: We'll happily tackle Coach Woj's own Hall of Fame article another year.)

"When Coach Wood arrived, the first thing that changed was the individual attention he gave every athlete," Wojciakowski recalled. "Every workout was written specifically for you. He logged everything. He charted it. He looked for patterns. He looked for progress. The commitment we saw from our coach made us all more accountable and excited about getting better and growing the program."

Looking back now, Coach Woj sees those workouts as the beginning of something much larger.

"His vision did not follow the status quo," he said. "His goal was to build a program, grow the team, and find success by doing things the right way. Success became the byproduct of hard work, preparation, and personal development."

That philosophy continues to define Aquinas Track & Field today.

"It's doing the work day in and day out," Wojciakowski said. "Preparing yourself physically and mentally to succeed. We continue to stress that our student-athletes represent the past and the future Saints. They represent our coaches, our administration, and the good name of Aquinas College. Be great in the classroom. Be great in the community. Be great on the playing field. Be proud to wear an Aquinas uniform."

For Coach Woj, perhaps the greatest lesson he inherited from Dave Wood had little to do with championships.

"I hope I am teaching student-athletes to become the best versions of themselves," he said. "Records, titles, and personal bests don't amount to anything if the student-athlete is thriving in all facets of life."

Years later, Coach Woj continues seeing that same philosophy grow in a way few coaches ever have the opportunity to witness.

"I love going to high school meets and seeing so many of my former athletes coaching and making a difference," Wojciakowski said. "They're becoming an extension of the coaching tree Coach Wood started here at Aquinas."

Dave Wood didn't simply build championship teams.

He built teachers, mentors, and leaders.

Through them, his influence continues to shape generations of Saints who proudly wear the Maroon and White.

Inspired by a Legacy

Few coaches ever have the opportunity to watch their legacy compete.

Dave Wood will.

This fall, another Wood will proudly wear the Maroon and White as Carson Wood begins his collegiate career with Aquinas Track & Field and Cross Country.

For Carson, choosing Aquinas wasn't about carrying a family obligation.

It was about joining something he had admired his entire life.

"Putting on the same uniform for the college my grandpa helped build means a lot to me," Carson said. "I know and trust that the program he built has been and will continue to be competitive for years to come, so it certainly influenced my decision to become a Saint."

Growing up, Carson witnessed far more than championships.

He watched integrity.

One story, in particular, has remained with him.

After Aquinas narrowly defeated rival Cornerstone for a conference championship, Coach Wood later discovered a scoring error that changed the outcome. Few people would have noticed. Even fewer would have said anything.

Coach Wood did.

He immediately informed Cornerstone that the scoring had been incorrect, resulting in the championship being awarded to the Golden Eagles.

The decision cost Aquinas a title.

It strengthened something much more important.

That lesson may be every bit as important as any championship banner Aquinas has ever celebrated.

Carson has also come to appreciate another side of the man so many knew simply as Coach Wood.

Outside the track, he is simply Grandpa.

Supportive.

Encouraging.

Always present.

"He designs training schedules for me, watches my progress, and comes to most of my meets," Carson said. "More importantly, he never pushed me into running because of his past. He let me find my own passion. Even though my brother chose basketball, Grandpa supports him just as much."

That freedom shaped the way Carson views the family legacy.

"I see it more as an inspiration than an expectation," he explained. "I know I have big shoes to fill, but instead of looking at it as a responsibility, I use it as motivation and a reminder of what is possible."

Perhaps Carson summarized his grandfather's legacy better than anyone else interviewed for this story.

"If you put all the championships and awards aside," he said, "he was still an amazing coach who led by example. He showed his athletes true integrity, supported them every day, and did everything he could to help them succeed."

For Carson, Dave Wood's greatest legacy isn't measured by the championships he won.

It's measured by the kind of man he continues to be.

And this fall, as another Wood pulls on an Aquinas uniform, that legacy won't simply be remembered.

It will begin another chapter.

A Well-Deserved Honor

Years ago, one lunch during Christmas break changed the future of Aquinas Track & Field.

Terry "Coach Bo" Bocian and Dave Wood couldn't have known it at the time.

Looking back now, the rest became Aquinas history.

One coaching hire became the foundation for a culture that would eventually earn national respect.

One teacher became a mentor to generations of student-athletes and coaches.

That vision became a culture that continues to shape Aquinas Track & Field today.

Perhaps that is why Dave Wood's induction into the 2026 Aquinas Athletics 'Coach Bo' Hall of Fame feels so fitting.

It isn't simply recognition for conference championships, All-Americans, or national success.

It is recognition for something far greater.

For every life he influenced.

Every standard he established.

Every lesson that continues to echo throughout Aquinas Track & Field.

And for building a legacy so enduring that, decades later, another Wood will proudly wear the Maroon and White.

Some coaching careers are measured by victories.

Dave Wood's will be measured by the generations of Saints who continue living the standards he established.

The Journey Continues

Every Hall of Fame story eventually arrives at the same destination.

The statistics become part of the record book.

The championships become cherished memories.

The trophies eventually gather dust.

But the lessons endure.

Dave Wood spent more than two decades transforming Aquinas Track & Field into one of the NAIA's nationally respected programs.

More importantly, he transformed people.

Student-athletes became leaders.

Athletes became teachers.

Coaches became mentors.

And generation after generation of Saints discovered that excellence isn't simply measured by victories.

It's measured by the lives those victories help shape.

That has quietly become the common thread throughout this year's Coach Bo Hall of Fame series.

Patti Tibaldi reminded us that great programs begin with those willing to light the torch.

Sean Fischbach showed us that leadership often starts with selflessness.

Katie Dahnke (Vander Meer) proved that one student-athlete can forever change the direction of a program.

Linda Nash demonstrated that carrying a legacy requires adding your own heart to it.

Dave Wood reminds us that the greatest coaches don't simply build championship teams.

They build cultures strong enough to inspire generations yet to come.

Next week, our journey through the 2026 Coach Bo Hall of Fame class reaches its final chapter with the remarkable story of the 1999 and 2000 Aquinas Men's Soccer Teams—two teams that forever changed expectations while establishing a standard that continues to influence Saints soccer today.

We don't tell these stories simply to remember greatness.

We tell them to remind today's Saints what greatness looks like.

Because for a brief moment in time, every student-athlete, coach, administrator, staff member, donor, alumnus, and fan is entrusted with something far greater than a season.

We are entrusted with Aquinas College.

Our responsibility is the same as those who came before us.

Leave it better than we found it.

That is the Saints' way.